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Top Manchester cop slams 'pay award betrayal'

07/12/2007

A leading Manchester police officer has criticised home secretary Jacqui Smith over her decision not to backdate a recommended pay increase.

Inspector Chris Burrows, chairman of the Greater Manchester branch of the Police Federation, said the minister was "dishonest, deceitful and immoral" after the contents of a confidential letter from Ms Smith to chancellor Alistair Darling were leaked to the press.

The letter said Ms Smith would accept a 2.5 per cent pay award for police for 2008 but would refuse to honour the recommendation made by the Police Arbitration Tribunal to backdate the three-month period in which the award was negotiated.

Police chiefs say that this effectively cuts the pay award to 1.9 per cent, which is lower than any other public sector body or emergency service.

Inspector Burrows told the Bolton News: "It is with great dismay that we have learned, via a leaked letter in the press, that the home secretary does not seem to share the same principles displayed by the Police Federation.

"The whole tone of the letter is such that we can only say - on behalf of the officers of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) - we believe that she has acted in a dishonest, deceitful and immoral manner, inconsistent with the holder of such a high office."

Earlier this week the GMP announced that it is trialling a new uniform for its officers from January and is inviting the public, staff associations and trade unions to comment on the polyester zip-fronted tops.